


Love is Stronger than Blood

by L_Moonshade



Series: Altered Realities [22]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-05-11
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_Moonshade/pseuds/L_Moonshade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pierce has plans for Phil. And Methos.<br/>They don't exactly go his way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love is Stronger than Blood

Phil, envelope in hand, glanced up as Kate stepped into his office, the look on her face automatically overriding his professionalism. "Sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"Methos went to Joe's last night. He never came home."

Phil frowned, absently opening the envelope in his hand. "Challenge?"

"I have no idea. Maybe. Though if if he did have one, we know he didn't lose it."

"No, we would have noticed that. I'll put out some feelers…" he trailed off as he glanced down at the photo he'd pulled out of the mail.

Kate, seeing the blood drain out of his face, tensed. "Phil?"

He swallowed. "Someone has him," he said, handing the photo over.

She felt sick when she saw it. Methos was hanging from shackles and chains embedded in the ceiling. His mouth was sewn shut and he was bleeding from numerous cuts, had at least one broken bone, and three knives embedded in his torso. He looked like he was in pain and weary, but the expression in his eyes promised retribution once he was free again.

"Any idea who it is?"

Phil looked at the envelope. "Pierce," he said. "It's addressed to 'Philly Delaware.'" He took the photo and turned it over, then showed her. "He told me where to find him."

"How do we handle this?"

Phil sat for a moment in thought, until Clint joined them.

"Hey, guys, what…? What's going on?"

There was a moment of quiet, then Phil stood. "Pierce has Royce," he said. "We need to take this to Fury."

"When are we leaving?"

Phil hesitated. "I'd rather you keep an eye on my dads," he said as they got onto the elevator.

"Phil, are you sure?" Kate said, concerned.

"Yes," he said, voice firm. "This is something I can't leave to anyone else."

When they got to Fury's outer office, Phil breezed by Fury's receptionist saying, "Alpha-1 emergency." The receptionist had barely informed the assistant director when Phil opened the door.

Fury started to say something (most likely to chew them out for barging in), until he saw the looks on their faces.

"What's happened?"

"We have a situation," Phil said, putting the photo on the desk. "It's Pierce."

Fury looked down, face paling. "You're sure?"

"Positive." Phil flipped the photo, pointing out the address.

"Plan?"

Phil took a steadying breath. "Barton and Lang take Pop and Dad detail, in case Pierce is using this as a diversion. And I go get Royce."

Fury's eyes flicked over to Kate and Clint; he could see how little they liked that prospect, but they didn't say anything, which he took as acquiescence. "You're taking a two-man team. They'll wait to go in, but you are not going alone," he told Phil.

Phil hesitated, but saw there was no arguing this and gave a curt nod. "Thank you, Sir," he said, then led the others out.

**XXXX**

Canton looked out the door before opening it. He stepped aside to let Kate and Clint in, taking in the fact that they were wearing tac suits and weapons. "What's happened?"

"Pierce has Royce," Clint said. "We're here until he's caught."

"Who's going after them?" William said.

"Phil. It's his choice," Kate said. "He wouldn't hear any arguments."

Canton shook his head. "Fuck."

**XXXX**

Phil made his way through the warehouse, cautious even though he didn't think there was going to be any danger until he found Pierce. Looking back, he thought he had a pretty good idea where Pierce's delusions were heading, and was confident that the other man would want to kill Phil, himself.

He was right, and he made it to the main floor without incident. There, Phil spared a glance for Methos (spread out on an autopsy table, cut open and unmoving), before turning to Pierce.

No one would mistake them for each other again, Phil thought as he looked as his twin. Their hairlines were still the same (receding) and neither had any scars (not that were visible, at least). But Pierce looked older, even if Phil was the one with crow's feet (laugh lines, Kate insisted, always with a fond smile). And Pierce had a crazy gleam to his eye that Phil lacked.

"Here we are, Philly. Just you and me."

"Let him go, Pierce."

"If you want him, you're going to have to kill me."

Phil closed his eyes for a moment in pain. "It doesn't have to be that way."

Pierce's laugh sounded just a touch hysterical. "Yes, it does, Philly. Don't you get it? We can't both live. It's gotta be either you, or me." He stood straight, held his arms out. "So what's it going to be? Do you want to kill me like a man, or do you want to kill me like a sheep?"

Pierce, Phil thought, had seen too many movies, but he knew what his twin was after. Pierce wanted to do this personally, no weapons but the two of them, and Phil hesitated. Maybe he was crazy, too, but he almost felt that was the right way to end it.

Then two voices started calling "Clear," jarring him out of his thoughts. Maybe hand-to-hand was the right way to end it, but he had other considerations, he thought, looking at Methos' body.

"Time's running out, Philly. What's it going to be? Man or sheep?"

"Baa," Phil said, then fired twice. He watched Pierce fall with a double-tap to the head, then let the gun slip from his fingers.

"He's down, hold position," Phil said into the comm, then turned to Methos. He managed to hold himself together until he had everything back in place and saw Methos begin to heal. Then he pulled the Immortal off the table and into his lap, burying his face in Methos' hair. He was so close to tears but he couldn't let himself give in. Not yet.

It was too long before Phil felt a heartbeat, an eternity before the second. Then Methos' eyes were flying open as he gave a deep, gasping breath before relaxing into Phil's arms.

"Phil," he said, voice gentle as he reached up to put a hand on Phil's. "I'm so sor…"

"No, Methos, don't. Pierce made his own choices."

"Still. Your brother."

Phil leaned down to press his lips to Methos' forehead. "He wasn't, not anymore. I don't think he's ever mattered as much as you do."

Methos closed his eyes against a swell of tears, brought Phil's hand to his lips. "Come on, then. Let's get home."

Once at the Triskelion, Methos told Phil to find him and Kate when he was ready, then they went their separate ways to debrief and write their reports. Phil knew he needed to rest, to work to come to terms with what he'd done (and with what had been done to the man he loved), and he couldn't do that if he had paperwork hanging over his head.

He was just finishing up when Clint found him. "You okay, Sir?"

Phil took a deep, shaky breath. "No, I'm not. But I think I will be."

"Okay. You know where to find me if you need anything."

Phil smiled, weak but genuine. "I do. Thank you, Clint. I don't think I've ever told you, but you've been a better brother to me than Pierce ever was."

Clint's eyes widened before he broke into a smile. "Thank you, Sir… Phil. Feeling's mutual. Now go find Nat and Royce already, huh? You need them, and I'm willing to bet they need you."

"I will. Thank you for keeping an eye on my dads."

"Yeah," Clint said, surprised. As if protecting family was something that wasn't just done.

Phil went from there directly to Kate and Methos' quarters. Despite the hour, when he knocked Kate opened the door immediately.

"I'm sorry it's so late…"

"Hush, Baby, you don't have anything to be sorry for. Do you want to talk about it?"

Phil was certain Methos had told her at least the bare bones, but he needed to talk about it, or at least start doing so. "He made it clear that only one of us was getting out of there alive. So I made sure it was me."

"Oh, Phil," Kate said, drawing him into her arms. After a moment she stepped back. "Come to bed, Love."

Methos and Kate quickly stripped down to their underclothes, then helped Phil do the same before ushering him into bed. After some fumbling (and a few giggles that were dangerously close to tears for Phil), they settled with Phil curled into Methos' side, his head on the Immortal's chest, Kate a warm, purring presence along his back.

"It's okay, Pet," Methos said, voice soft and comforting. "We've got you."

As if that were the permission he needed, Phil broke down and started to cry.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks as always to Raynbowz.


End file.
